July 18, 2024
A Steady Foundation and a Welcome Reward
To
those unfamiliar with Buddhism, tranquility may seem like the ultimate
goal of meditation. While it is a worthy goal itself, it is also one of
the seven factors of awakening—the wholesome qualities that are a
crucial part of the Buddhist path and essential to escaping the cycle of
samsara. The way to develop tranquility is the core Buddhist practice
known as samatha, or calm abiding, which goes hand in hand with
Vipassana, or clear seeing. Samatha entails focusing on an object, most
commonly the breath, to steady the mind and achieve samadhi, or concentration.
While Vipassana, which leads to insight, has become a widespread
practice, samatha is equally integral. Tranquility is a key support to
and benefit of practice for beginners and advanced Buddhist
practitioners alike. The former may use tranquility to help quiet their
thoughts and quell anxiety. The latter to reach deep levels of
concentration known as jhana. In both cases, tranquility aids
practice and practitioner, serving as a steady foundation for going
further and a welcome reward.
Some practice Vipassana and samatha in succession, with samatha offering
the stabilization to practice or achieve Vipassana. As meditation
teacher Narayan Helen Liebenson explains, “With calmness as our
foundation, as the mental chatter begins to calm itself and cease,
wisdom has a greater chance of emerging, of thriving, of growing.” But
they can also be viewed as complementary practices or aims to engage in
together. As author and meditation teacher Lama Rod Owens explains, “In
the Vajrayana tradition of Buddhism, the goal is to practice calm
abiding and insight in union and, ultimately, realize the true nature of
mind.”
This week’s Three Teachings explains a method for developing tranquility and why it’s both a necessity for and a boon of Buddhist practice.
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